1. Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments Dear Participants, Our seminar « Access to services » is based on exchanges, encounters and discussions. In order to identify each other more easily, we ask you to fill in the small document (“introduction form”). Then, all introduction forms will be collected and shared between participants. You can write them in French, English or Arabic, according to your working language. Thank you for returning them to Marion by 30th November 2009. You can choose your pictures; Please keep the same colours suggested in the example. Good organisation and see you soon! © Handicap International

2. Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments International Seminar Amman, Jordan 7 – 11 december 2009 © Handicap International Christine SMERDON Programme Disability Coordinator HI Nepal I am attending the seminar because in Nepal we have a constant challenge to increase access to rehab services in the face of poverty, difficult geography, lack of awareness of the benefits, and, until 2006, armed conflict.

3. Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments photo 1. Nepal: establishing centres in major transportation hubs and reaching out from those using a variety of strategies. 2. Afghanistan: trying to expand services geographically in order to improve access but being limited by human resources and insecurity.

4. Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments photo According to your experiences, what are the biggest obstacles to the access to services for persons with disabilities ? - Poverty - Lack of awareness of benefits (at various levels of the society and government) Lack of awareness of availability (at various levels of the society and government) - Trained human resources - Geography - Limitations placed on some people with disabilities due to gender or stigma.

5. Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments photo According to your experiences, what can facilitate the access to services for persons with disabilities ? -Careful consideration of location and partner of centralised services -Socioeconomic support (for travel, accommodation, actual services) for those who need it -Reputation for high quality service -Decentralised units providing minimal services -Mobile services - Awareness of services among other service providers eg CBR, health and knowledge of referral mechanism

6. Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments photo To which question would you like this seminar to answer ? How to ensure equal access by women and men in context of gender inequality, less access to information by women, less freedom to leave the house and children.